"During the chaos of the late Tang Dynasty, when the previous dynasty stood divided between North and South, both soldiers and civilians would mistakenly wander into this place. So wandering souls were trapped, while other corpses transford, launching stealth attacks amidst the mist. Over the years, it had beco a perilous zone."
"Below the valley lies a cliff. Wu Ba and I will guard it while Brother Lv strikes with stones. If you hear the sound of a bell, that’s where the secret passage is located..."
At this, even Lv San beca curious, "Brother Yan, how do you know so much about this?"
Li Yan glanced around, his gaze sowhat complex, "With each breath, the mountains and rivers cycle through hundreds of years of mortal dust; I saw Xian Mountain’s changes over millennia, like the flow of ti, yet observed it coldly."
"Indeed mysterious, whose divine insight brought you this?"
"This is an unspeakable secret..."
Not wanting to push further when Li Yan was reluctant to share, Lv San pulled out his Bone Flower from his waist and followed Li Yan down the slope.
This valley was certainly peculiar.
The closer they approached the valley’s bottom, the thicker the mist beca. As they entered the mountain forest within, heavy mist surrounded them, and they could see only ten ters around.
Both the Little White Fox and Shu Da and Shu Er started to grow restless, their fur standing on end.
Even Lv San furrowed his brows, "My divine skills have been suppressed, is this... an array?"
"Yes."
Li Yan, too, drew the Duan Chen Blade, looking around solemnly, "Within Xian Mountain, there lies a cave dug by the ancient Fuxi clan."
"I saw a white-haired elder with a blurred silhouette, possibly the immortal Chi Songzi, setting so restrictions in the mountain, hiding the Fuxi Ancient Cave..."
"Do you rember, Tian Wei once ntioned, it was the first Great Mage Xing HePu who discovered the Wang Chan Ancestor’s Scripture Storage Forest within Yunng Swamp?"
"Landlord Tian’s son? Seems they ntioned that..."
"To be honest, according to the clues Liu Gang found, Xing HePu was not only adept at divination but also a living Yin ssenger. He had uncovered many mysteries of heaven and earth, which I suspect he learned from the Wang Chan Ancestor’s Scripture Storage Forest."
"Earlier in the Illusion Realm, I saw a group controlling river monsters, with a hundred giant turtles carrying steles, entering the mountain from a discovered entrance, likely where Xing HePu hid the Stone Forest..."
While they spoke, the three had already ventured deep into the dense forest.
The mist grew more intense, the ground layered with rotting branches and leaves, soaking from rainwater and mountain floods, turning it into a quagmire.
There were many pits filled with sludge, covered with leaf litter, becoming traps. Once stepped upon, one would be sucked in.
Their progress beca arduous, yet thanks to Li Yan’s divine skills detecting within ten ters, they easily sidestepped each trap.
After a few more steps, Li Yan suddenly twisted the Duan Chen Blade, thrusting it sharply into the ground with a "thud."
"Roar—!"
A growl echoed as a mud-covered black claw reached out from the earth, but as Li Yan twisted the blade, it collapsed lifelessly.
Without looking back, the two continued on their path.
It had been a walking corpse, likely a hunter or villager who recently died here, with residual Yin Evil Qi giving rise to a fake corpse when encountering the living.
Soon after, silhouettes appeared faintly amidst the mist, so resembling soldiers, others hunters or villagers, drifting like black mist, emitting sobbing cries.
Wu Ba bristled all over, looking around warily.
"Ignore them!"
Li Yan let out a cold snort, leading the others forward.
It was already midday, yet within the dense forest of the valley, the light remained dim, with a chilling gloom.
Finally, they reached a rock face, but the trio stopped in unison, their faces solemn, clutching their weapons tightly.
Ahead lay a marsh full of decayed weapons jutting from the withered branches and leaves, along with many exposed corpses.
A tattered banner hung from a tree.
Emblazoned boldly with "Heavenly Saint!"
Li Yan narrowed his eyes and murmured, "It seems it’s not just the Snake Sect master and disciple; the Heavenly Saint Sect is also secretly searching."
"What should we do?"
"No way around it, we’ll force our way through!"
Li Yan gritted his teeth, turning to Wu Ba, speaking sternly, "Don’t wander off, work with to protect Lv San. Understood?"
"Bang! Bang!"
Though Wu Ba was not yet fluent in speech, he understood the aning, clenching the crude large axe in his hand.
His axe appeared unremarkable and crudely made, but it was indeed a Magic Artifact of the human goblin tribe, capable of restraining evil beings.
"Charge!"
Li Yan signaled with a nod and led the charge.
"Roar~"
The living aura stirred the hidden corpses in the marsh, twisting as if the entire ground was writhing.
In such chaos, there was no room for techniques.
Zzzt!
Li Yan wielded the Duan Chen Blade in his right hand; electric arcs leapt from his left fist as he slashed and hamred, smashing all obstacles.
Lv San followed closely, swinging his Bone Flower wildly.
anwhile, Wu Ba displayed his formidable combat prowess, swinging his massive axe left and right, shredding anything that dared approach.
Like an arrowhead, they pierced straight through the army of fake corpses, rapidly closing on the stone wall.
As they neared, Lv San imdiately found a sharp stone, incessantly striking the stone wall.
Bam, bam, bam!
Despite their efforts, only the ordinary sound of stone clashing was heard.
Lv San was undeterred, speeding up his strikes.
Maintaining their guard behind him, Li Yan and Wu Ba continued to brandish their weapons, or kicked away the lunging walking corpses.
These beings, having absorbed yin sha over the years, though not as invincible as zombies, had bodies hard enough to resist blades.
If not for the impressive strength of Li Yan and Wu Ba, and the Magic Artifacts they wielded, they wouldn’t be able to carve through them.
Nevertheless, this was an entire fallen army, overwhelmingly nurous. For every one they broke, more surged forward.
With the corpse tide growing fiercer, Li Yan couldn’t afford to hold back his trump card, suddenly raising his hand as the Soul Hook unleashed a howling wail.
Unlike dealing with fierce ghosts, the effect of rely hooking souls was poor. Thus, Li Yan activated the thunder power absorbed in the Soul Hook.
Crackle!
In an instant, thunder roared.
In Li Yan’s hand erged a six-ter-long thunder serpent, its glaring electric light danced madly, clearing the space before them in a flash.
Wu Ba watched in awe.
Within their team, he was closest to Lv San, yet his greatest fear was undoubtedly Li Yan. The power of this Thunder Technique etched a profound impression in his heart.
After the display of might, Li Yan quickly retracted the Soul Hook.
The new divine skills were indeed mighty, but they had limitations too.
The thunder contained within the Soul Hook wasn’t infinite; akin to a Magic Treasure, it could store thunder but needed to be recharged after usage.
Given the current strength of the Soul Hook, this level of thunder assault could be unleashed three or four more tis at most, with so reserved as a last resort.
"Roar—!"
The terrifying thunderstorm forced the corpse tide to montarily retreat, yet as Li Yan stowed away the Soul Hook, they surged once again.
Ding dong, ding dong!
Suddenly, the clear sound of a bell resonated from behind.
"Found it!"
Lv San bead with excitent, channeling his Hidden Energy to strike against the stone wall, following Li Yan’s prior instructions.
Alas, the stone wall remained unmoved.
"Wu Ba, over here!"
Li Yan hastily commanded, confronting the horde alone.
Wu Ba rushed forward, letting out a furious roar, his muscles knotted like twisted steel.
Boom, boom, boom!
With the resonant sound, a stone door slowly swung open.
"Quick, get inside!"
Li Yan swiftly pushed the two inside, and together they exerted force, closing the stone door firmly, shutting out the raging horde.
Poof!
Li Yan retrieved a torch, lighting it with a flint.
Finally, the trio saw clearly that this massive stone door was bell-shaped.
Li Yan shook his head and said, "Xian Mountain is full of strange stones. During the Pre-Qin era, the Chu State court often collected them to make bells, crucial ceremonial instrunts known as Chu Sound."
"This Fuxi Ancient Cave had already been discovered during the Pre-Qin era, but from Chi Songzi to Chang Sangzi, and even Xing HePu, it was deliberately hidden by soone."
As he spoke, he turned and illuminated with the torch.
A straight mountain path stretched into darkness, the surrounding stone walls showing signs of human chiseling.
Lv San pondered, "What exactly is in the Fuxi Ancient Cave?"
Li Yan’s eyes narrowed, "Once found, it will be known."
With that, the three continued forward, their silhouettes gradually disappearing...
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